A glimpse of how the Afghan government could collapse in the future, as the hand-off from American and other ISAF forces to the Afghan army and police proceeds, is provided by the following report on how the Taliban are seizing control of villages surrounding Mazar-e-Sharif in the North, previously considered a secure zone.

See Tanna Badkhen, “The Taliban Come to Mazar: Last month, NATO forces ceded this northern city to the Afghan army, calling it safe territory. But insurgent forces are on the doorstep,” Foreign Policy, August 3, 2011.

The overall failure to build a viable government in Afghanistan, over 10 years, and the specific failure of U.S. foreign assistance to contribute to this goal, are described in a report by The International Crisis Group released on August 4.

See International Crisis Group, “Aid and Conflict in Afghanistan” (Asia Report N°210), August 4, 2011

The fundamental flaw in U.S. strategy in Afghanistan has been a failure to address the governance problem, relying instead almost exclusively on military means to stabilize the country. The result has been a totally corrupt narco-state ruled by local warloards, under the general coordination of the leading warlord in Kabul.

The only alternative policy that is left is to return to the earlier project of building a democratic government in the country, giving Afghan soldiers and police goals and an ideology to fight for that might be strong enough to overcome the religious and ideological appeal–and ruthless methods–of the Taliban.

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